Orange-bound freshmen get early taste of Carrier Dome in Upstate/Downstate football all-star game (video)

New York State High School Football ClassicIncoming Syracuse University freshman running back Tyree Smallwood talks about playing in the New York State High School Football Classic on Sunday and playing in the Carrier Dome for the first time.

Syracuse, NY -- Tyree Smallwood couldn’t help but be a little wide-eyed Thursday morning after his second football practice inside Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome.

The senior at Cornwall High School, headed to SU on a football scholarship, was enjoying an early taste of life under the big top as he practiced with his Downstate teammates for Sunday’s second Empower New York State High School Football Classic.

“I love it. It’s like home. It’s beautiful,” the running back said of the arena he has visited on recruiting trips but never ran on the turf of until Wednesday night, when teams of all-stars began preparing for the 2 p.m. Sunday game.

Smallwood is one of 97 players, including eight headed to SU on scholarships, who will play for either the Upstate or Downstate squads.

For many of the players, the Dome is easily the biggest venue they’ve competed in.

All of the five Orange-bound players on the Downstate team – Smallwood, quarterback Terrel Hunt, receiver/defensive back Brandon Reddish and linemen Ryan Sloan and Ivan Foy – have visited the Dome in street clothes but never in helmets and shoulder pads.

“This is a site to see,” said Hunt, a quarterback out of Christ the King High School in Queens.

Hunt will match his quarterbacking skills with another SU-bound athlete – Ashton Broyld, who played in the Dome last fall while leading Rush-Henrietta to a state championship.

“I’m going into this game to play serious, like it’s a championship game,” Hunt said. “I know we all want to have fun at an all-star game, but we want to win. I want to lead my team to victory. I want to show fans what I can bring to the table.”

Sloan, of Long Island’s Bellport High School, and Foy, of Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton, will help anchor Downstate’s defensive line. Foy expects to move to the other side of the ball at SU this fall.

If you go

What: 2nd annual Empower New York State High School Football Classic, sponsored by Empower Federal Credit UnionWhen: 2 p.m. SundayWhere: Carrier DomeTickets: $5Teams: 50 players each on upstate and downstate squads. Upstate includes seniors from Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10. Downstate has seniors from Sections 1, 8, 9, 11 and New York’s public school and Catholic leagues.Last year: Downstate won the inaugural game, 36-7, last June in the Dome

Reddish, Foy’s teammate at New York City champion Fort Hamilton, might be playing one of his final games at receiver. The city’s PSAL offensive player of the year is being eyed as a cornerback at SU.

“It’s probably going to be a big change,” he said. “But I practice a corner a lot.
Whatever happens, happens.”

Broyld, another Orange quarterback of the future and one of three on the Upstate team, said the multiple practices leading up to the game will help players get more prepared for the college experience. So will having to adjust quickly to the skills and strengths of others.

“Having these three practices in one day (both Thursday and Friday) I think is going to be good for us and get us ready for what’s to come,” said the Class AA player of the year. “I’m having a lot of fun out here with these guys. But this is also helping us, because we are all about to step into a whole other world.”

Broyld, whose senior year was marred by a March incident on the basketball court that resulted in a criminal misdemeanor charge against him, declined to discuss that situation after practice.

“I’m not going to talk about that right now. I’m here to play football,” said Broyld, who is scheduled to appear next week in Rochester City Court on a public lewdness charge.

Upstate running back Mike Messina, out of Rochester’s Aquinas Institute, said he was enjoying one final football experience – although he plans to be a frequent competitor in the Dome over the next four years.

Messina, who is coming to SU as a lacrosse midfielder, helped lead Aquinas to a state football championship last November and was the Class A co-player of the year.

“This is my last game. Although I wanted to leave my last football game as the state championship, I felt like it would be fun to come back and play at Syracuse,” he said.
“I know I’ll be playing a lot of lacrosse here.”

Upstate team kicker Jon Fisher, out of Oakfield-Alabama High School, is also headed to SU. He said he was “booming” kicks in his first experience in the Dome.